Online Sports Betting in Latin America

Sports betting isn’t nearly as robust in Latin America as in North America or Europe, but it’s still a growing market that betting affiliates — particularly those in the Spanish-speaking markets — pay close attention to.

It’s developing, meaning that betting affiliates have a great opportunity. If you aim your marketing efforts towards the Latin American market, you’ll find a lot of potential opportunities. Many of these growing countries are building their economies and infrastructures, and more and more citizens have access to online betting as a result.

Given the popularity of soccer (or, sorry, football) in these nations, it’s no surprise that many online sportsbook brands have expanded their offerings there. As the general media presence in these countries grows, look for more intensified betting on local matches. As it stands now, the World Cup is, as it is for so many other nations, the market’s biggest online betting event.

BrazilSoccer is huge in Brazil, of course, and, being the large country it is, that makes for a lot of soccer fans. And they, by and large, love to bet.

Perhaps ironically, the country has one of the least developed sports betting industries in South America. Some major operators like Ladbrokes, Unibet and Bet365 operate there, but many more do not. In the coming years, this could change dramatically. In fact, Brazil’s huge population means the betting market could be equally huge there, if it ever gets proper regulatory approval.

ArgentinaIn Argentina, it’s hard to compete with the national lottery. But the enthusiasm with which Argentineans bet online makes it tempting for offshore bookmakers to try to tap the market, anyway. Licensed brands serving Argentina include Bodog, Intertops, Unibet, BetUS and Sportsbook.com.

Technically, online gambling is banned in Argentina, but, like in the U.S., players are not prosecuted; the betting companies themselves occasionally are, if they don’t pay taxes to the government. But players can be assured that, if an online bookmaker will take their bet, they’re not taking any legal risks.

MexicoSports betting affiliates who want to promote Mexican sports are better served thinking of the culture and market as an extension of South American culture, not as part of North America.

And in Mexico, the main player in the sportsbook game is Caliente, based on a prominent land-based book. Outside of the home brew, a quite a few online sportsbooks accept players from Mexico, and the Mexican market embraces soccer (football), particularly World Cup, and also a lot of American sports like football and baseball.

Costa RicaCosta Rica is one of online gaming’s business hubs: Many online betting operators have headquarters in this Central American country. So much so, actually, that the government there has recently decided to raise the corporate tax rate on online gambling companies.

Like Mexico and much of the rest of Latin America, Costa Rica enthusiastically embraces World Cup soccer, as well as American sports like football and baseball.

ConferencesGaming conferences are increasing in Latin America, and they generally include some sort of affiliate emphasis, such as the Latin American Gaming Exhibition, Caribbean Gaming Show, and the Power LatAm, in Buenos Aires.

There are significant opportunities for affiliate marketers in Latin America, and it’s a great time to start expanding your affiliate marketing efforts county-by-country, niche by niche.